The Bookfest International Book Fair, Romania’s largest book fair, returns to the capital’s cultural events landscape after a three-year hiatus. More than 100,000 people are expected to attend this year’s Bookfest, which will take place from June 1 to 5 at the Romexpo Exhibition Complex’s Pavilion B2 in Bucharest.
Tens of thousands of titles with spectacular discounts on the cover price, book launches in the presence of authors, children’s events, debates and round tables dedicated to current guild issues, film screenings and interactive events are just some of the reasons why Bookfest 2022 is expected to be a success. All Bookfest events will be open to the public for free, with visiting hours ranging from 10 to 20 hours per day.
It’s been three years since the publishing world waited to meet the audience without restrictions in the elegant and welcoming ambience of the Bookfest International Book Fair. Therefore, we are waiting for you at the first major event of written culture in 2022, a celebration of the book that comes after such a long absence and which I hope will show us that normalcy is still possible.
Grigore ARSENE the president of the Romanian Publishers Association
This edition’s honoured guest is Japan, which offers book lovers a diverse program ranging from launches and debates on classic novels of Japanese literature to events that reflect the popular culture so beloved by young readers and cultural events.
I am extremely honoured that Japan is the Guest of Honor at the 15th edition of the International Book Fair. I am very happy about this wonderful opportunity for the Romanian public to get even closer to Japanese literature. I was looking forward to this edition of Bookfest, along with many literature enthusiasts, after two years in which it could not be organized. This year’s edition of Bookfest will transcend the geographical distance between Japan and Romania and, for five days, will allow the visiting public to enjoy Japan fully. Special guests will be Japanese writers and authors of books about Japan, who will guide readers through the world of their creations. At the Japan stand, we have prepared a wide range of events related to different aspects of Japanese culture: from manga, which has a long tradition in Japan, being as popular as literature, to history and art. I invite readers to come to the Bookfest International Book Fair to step into the world of Japanese literature and culture. They will thus have the opportunity to discover a new Japan, with which they have never met before.
Hiroshi UEDA, Ambassador of Japan to Romania
More than 400 events await readers eager to attend a book fair without the constraints of the previous two years, ranging from book launches and debates to film screenings and interactive children’s events. The children’s events will highlight Bookfest’s first day, June 1, which also happens to be Children’s Day.
The previous edition of the Bookfest International Book Fair featured over 150 exhibitors (Bucharest, May 29 – June 2, 2019). The United Kingdom was the honoree at the time. Spain, Hungary, France, German-speaking countries (Germany, Austria, Switzerland), Poland, the Czech Republic, Israel, Sweden, and the United States were invited to previous international editions.
Like all Bookfest events, the Book Fair will be free to the public, as will all interactive events and projects. Wednesday, June 1 – 10:00-20:00; Thursday, June 2 – 10:00-8:00; Friday, June 3 – 10:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.; Saturday, June 4 – 10:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.; and Sunday, June 5 – 10:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.